


5 Times Tony Acted Like A Tsundere And The One Time Steve Understood What That Meant

by misbehavingvigilante



Series: Tales Inspired by the Discord Year 2 [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 5+1 Things, Idiots in Love, M/M, Pining Steve Rogers, Tsunderes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-06
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21689554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misbehavingvigilante/pseuds/misbehavingvigilante
Summary: In which Tony Stark has a bad habit of acting like a Tsundere when he's smitten and how this impacts Steve Rogers' life.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Tales Inspired by the Discord Year 2 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561894
Comments: 10
Kudos: 143





	5 Times Tony Acted Like A Tsundere And The One Time Steve Understood What That Meant

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fluffypanda](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffypanda/gifts).



> Happy birth, panda. 
> 
> Based on panda's prompt of 'tsundere!Tony, do what you will with the concept.'

“You made this for me?” Steve is a little confused, he and Tony aren’t quite yet really on friendly terms. That spat is still hovering over their heads and even if they’d come to understand they misunderstood each other, it showered tension over their relationship.

“You’re not that special, Rogers.” Tony rolled his eyes, but his words aren’t that harsh. “I took a look at everyone’s outfits or weapons because quite bluntly, I can do better.”

Steve hasn’t really had the chance to test out that theory yet but ultimately, he is touched that Tony thought to include despite how things had started. “That was really nice of you.”

“You are all my teammates, you do have to look good. I mean, I know none of you can look as good as me, but I do have to try.” Tony waved it off and before Steve could even ask his next question, Tony answered it for him. “And no, it’s not just cosmetic. Who do you think I am?”

“Tony Stark.” Steve said because it seems like the most innocuous way to say that without him saying something wrong and him and Tony ending up arguing again.

“That’s right.” Tony grinned, and his smile was blinding.

Steve decided he liked Tony’s real smiles more than the ones he always seem to plaster on his face when he was in public.

~

“You want me to come with you to an event?” Steve asked, arching an eyebrow.

He really wasn’t sure if he was the best person to ask about that, he still felt like he was awkward and not really nearly as good with his words as Tony was. At least, off the battlefield, in the middle of things he did fine. He could encourage, and he could help people stand up after feeling defeated and most importantly he could rally people to his side if need be.

“It’s not like you were my first choice!” Tony grumbled, but his face is turned away from Steve but his enhanced hearing picked up the fact that Tony’s heart is beating faster. He didn’t know that could happen with the arc reactor but it’s clear that Tony is embarrassed.

Still, it’s not as if Steve is one to leave a man behind or alone in this instance. There’s probably a reason that Tony is asking him, that there was a reason he wasn’t able to have asked anyone else.

“Can you help me not make a complete fool of myself if I come with you?”

Tony turned back to him now, and Steve gets a good look at his eyes. They are a nice shade of brown and they look so inviting and warm when Tony brightened up since Steve had agreed to go with him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you look good in this social circle. Speaking of, we’ll have to get you another outfit.”

“Another one?” Steve barely had time to ask before Tony is dragging him off to a tailor.

~

Steve doesn’t have the best experience with baseball games in the new world thus far since SHIELD tried to pull one over on him, he hasn’t really yet been able to rectify that decision. Aside from watching it on tv, which really isn’t the same as attending a game in person.

So he’s really surprised by his luck when Tony comes to complain about none of his friends being available to go to a game with him. “Can you believe that? They’re all busy. I suppose I could just throw them outside, give the scalpers some competition. How can they compete with free, after all?”

They are probably plenty of people who can’t afford the game or who are going to try to get into without paying and Steve does feel bad about taking away this opportunity but on the other hand, Tony is likely to cause a riot if he goes through with his plan and well, preventing that chaos is surely worthwhile, right?

“We could go together?” Steve offered. “I know I’m probably not your first choice, but… “

“I wouldn’t have to go alone, at least.” Tony said evenly, as if it doesn’t really bother him either way. “Guess it can be you, Cap. Let’s go.”

Steve smiled, regardless of how Tony felt, he was glad to get to watch a game but also spend more time with Tony. It didn’t seem like they were arguing as much now, and well, Steve was finding that he liked spending time around Tony more than he would have thought he would.

~

“You ordered these for me?” Steve asked, that’s a surprisingly kind gesture, maybe Tony had overheard that he was running off space in his sketchbooks but honestly, the number in front of him was well over what was necessary.

Tony coughed as if clearing his throat. “I buy a lot of stuff in bulk for the tower. They had a special so I just added it onto my ordinary order.”

“Oh, okay.” Steve looked over the number of sketchbooks again, the ones on the desk and the ones still in Tony’s hands make it look like more than a dozen, maybe even two dozen.

He doesn’t understand rich people so maybe that was a normal occurrence.

Tony shoved the rest of sketchbooks into Steve’s hands, their hands brushing together as Steve went to take their weight. Tony’s hands were soft, clearly he put some skin care routine into them, but he could still feel callouses that came from Tony doing so much of his own work.

They showed the kind of man that Tony was.

The contact was brief, but warm, and Steve found that he missed the warmth when Tony turned his back to him and left the room without further comment.

Steve sighed, he wished that Tony could have stayed longer but it was nice gesture.

The fact that he had been filling up so many of his sketchbooks with Tony was another thing that Steve was just blatantly ignoring the implications of.

~

The kiss is…. a surprise first and foremost.

Steve hadn’t really thought that Tony liked him that much, they got along much, much better now of course but it doesn’t seem like Tony cares for him all that much which is fine. It’s perfectly fine, better to let it be natural than force something that’s not there to be present.

“It’s not like I kissed you because I wanted to, it’s just tradition!” Tony pointed out, but he is red, he is very, very red.

It seems at odds with what Tony is saying when he’s like that instead but he runs off, literally runs away from Steve and so Steve is just left there by himself underneath the mistletoe wondering what on earth he is supposed to make of that.

He wanted the kiss to be real, Steve knew that much but it doesn’t seem to be. That said, he still shared a kiss with Tony. Those lips had graced his if only for a moment, a hesitant press which surprised him given how bold Tony normally is but still, it had been soft and sweet.

Like the kind of kiss lovers shared.

If only it had been real.

~

“Okay, no, I’m done.” Natasha shook her head, looking annoyed as she later found Steve in the same position as Tony had left him five minutes ago. “Steve, don’t you think it’s weird that when you impressed an interest in just about anything, Tony thought up an excuse to give it to you?”

Steve does think about that, he thinks about how Tony had gifted him a new uniform as to build the way to mending their relationship, even if he had given everyone else upgrades at the same time, it had been olive branch of sorts.

He thought about how Tony started to invite him out to the events, when it seemed like Steve got a little too lost in his head and a little too dejected from this century. Steve always preferred the fundraising events most and so that was what Tony ended up inviting him to most rather than things for Avengers work.

About how he missed baseball, and how he wanted to draw more art, and all of the other little details that suddenly show up in a new light now.

“He likes me?” Steve hoped, wondering if it’s too bold to think such but maybe, just maybe.

“Yes, he does. I don’t like he had to act like such a tsundere around you but yes.”

Natasha wouldn’t like to him. Steve trusted her but he is confused. “What’s a tsundere?”

“That’s not important right now.” Natasha pushed his forward towards where Tony had previously run off too. “Go get your man, because I’m not dealing with you idiots pining throughout the entire holiday season.”

“But-“

“I am not going to kiss Tony for you, Steve. Pucker up and do it yourself.”

Steve doesn’t really want Natasha to do that either so he goes to find Tony in hopes of having a conversation and also having a second kiss together. 


End file.
